Operating head for obstruction removers



I 1 ,'616,833 Feb. 8, 7' STRJEMEL OPERATING HEAD FOR OBSTRUCTION REMOVERS Filed Dec. 21, 1925 55 Jsepfl Sireme/ 'Patente'd Feb. s 1927. g I. 1 i 6,833 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.iosErE sTaEmEL, or EVERETT, wnsnmeron, assronoa or onE-nanr To mononas sonomanas, or sroxANE, WASHINGTON. I I

OPERATING HEAD Eon onsTaocTIon 'REMovEas. Application filed December 21, 1925. Serial No. 76,830.

' 1 My present invention relates to improve- In carrying out my invention I utilirie a ments in operating heads for obstruction resupporting frame comprising a base plate movers especially adapted for use by plumb- 1 and posts 2 in which a drip pan 3 is supers and others in removing obstructions in ported and the frame is of convenient size sewerage and other pipes built in dwellings to render the device portable but at the same and other building structures. As is well t1me provide an adequatesupport for the opknown to those familiar with plumbing operating parts of my device. In use the operations. it is customary to remove obstruccrating head is placed'upon a suitable su tions from sewerage and other drain pipes port, or if more convenient it may be he d by introducing a flexible tooI of suitable in ,the hand and its operation controlled length having a cutting head at its working manually. end, and turning or twisting the tool at the Between the posts a tool head 4 is supoperating end of the tool to cause the cutported, this head being in the form of a. ting head to ream or cut away the obstrucgenerall rectangular, open frame, normal] 5 tion. After the removal of the obstruction dispose in horizontal position and capab e the flexible tool is withdrawn and the pipe -of being revolved or rotated upon a pair of cleaned by passing water therethrough. longitudinally disposed trunnions 5 and 6 In such operations the dbris carried by' at its ends. The trunnion 5 is hollow as the flexible tool as it is withdrawn from the shown while the trunnion 6 is a solid stud pipe is frequently scattered about the bath shaft, the former being journaled in a bearroom or other place where the tool is 1n use, ing 7 on one post and the latterjournaled causing discomfort, inconvenience and unin a special bearing 8 on the other post. sanitary conditions. The bearing 8 is a split bearing and de- The primary object of my invention is the signed to perform the functions of a friction 25 provision of means in the form of a manubrake or clutch and is therefore provided ally operated head for the tool by means of with perforated ears 9 in which a clamp bolt which the flexible tool and its cutter may 10 operates. By tightening the bolt the with facility be fed into the tortuous pipe bearing 8 may be 'used as a clutch to prevent for its work and then operated to remove rotation of the trunnions in their journal- 30 the obstruction. As the flexible tool is with bearings. When the bolt is loosened the as drawn from its work'means are provided for trunnions are free to turn in their bearings. compactly stowing it away ready for subse- For rotating or turning the rotary tool head quent use; and means are provided for -gatha crank handle 11 is aflixed on the solid ering the dbris carried by the tool as it is trunnion 6 outside of the frame and the tool withdrawn to prevent. scattering about in head 4 is controlled in its movement by the room or other place wherethe work is manual power applied to the crank handle. being carried on. The rotary head is designed to twist or The invention consists in certain novel turn the flexible tool 12 which carries at combinations and arrangements of parts inits working end a cutter headand cutter volving the use of a rotary head and a reel (not shown) after the tool has been introcarried thereby, together with other features duced into a pipe that is obstructed. The for operating and controlling the operation -flexible tool is passed through the hollow of the head and reel. as Will hereinafter be trunnion 5 in line with the axis of the tool v more fully set forth'and claimed. head 4 and a guide pulley 13, which is In the accompanying drawings I have loose and laterally movable on an axle 14 .illustrated one complete example of the, supported'transversely of the tool head and physical embodiment of my invention whereguides the flexible tool to a reel 15. The 111 the parts are combined and arranged in shaft 16 of the reel is journaled transverseaccordance with the best mode I have thus 1y of the rotary axis of the tool head or far devised for the practical application of frame4 in bearings 17 at opposite sides of the principles of my invention. the rotary head and the reel which is located Figure 1 is a top plan view of the op within the open tool head 4 may be turned erating head embodying my invention. by the crank handle 18 located outside the Figure 2"is a view in side elevation of the rotary tool head. I I

device of Figure 1. The reel and its shaft together with the no p a screw action into at The flexible tool l2 is usually a spiral.

flexible tool wound on the reelrotate bodily with the rotary head when it is turned by manipulating the crank handle 11. -Thus it will be apparent that the handle 11 may be turnedto advance the flexible tool with thepipeto be cleaned and the cutter head onv the working end 0 the flexible tool cuts through the obstruction. Then by a reverse motion of the crank handle 11 the tool head and reelmay be turned if necessary to release the flexible tool and cutter from entanglement in the pipe. To withdraw the tool from the pipe it may be wound upon the reel by turning the handle 18, and as the tool is withdrawn the debris therefrom will fall into the drip To retard the rotation of the reel, or to hold the reel and its shaftagainst rotation when the tool head is being rotated or revolved by manipulation of the crank handle 11, a friction brake or clutch is used in connection with the reel. This brake or clutch comprises a screw bar head 20 for frictional engagement with one side face of the reel, and an operating head 19'. The screw bar is threaded into a bearing 21 of the tool head and it will be apparent that by turning the screw bar to cause frictional engagement of the head 20 with the side face of the reel the movement of the latter may be retarded or the reel may be held& stationary with relation to the tool hea i the pipe 19 having av frictionthe manipulato' rotate the enters the pipe and advances to the obstruction with a screw movement.

The flexibility of the tool of course permits spring and as itto pass bends, joints, and-other featuresin the pipe line and the interior surfaces of pipes for its work. I

Having thus fully described my invention what-I claim as new and desire to .secure by Letters Patent is An operating tool head, comprising the combination with a supporting frame hav ing a pair of aligned bearings therein, one of sai bearings being split, of a rotary tool head including an open frame having a hollow trunnion on one end thereof and a solidtrunnion on the opposite end, means for clamping said split bearing on said solid trunnion 'to prevent rotation of said tool head, an operating handle on said solid trunnionfor rotating said tool head in said bearings, a, reel journalled in said open frame, operating means associated with said reel, means carried by said open frameand adjustable therein to retain the reel against rotary movement, and a flexible toolpassing through said hollow trunnion and adapted to be wound on said reel.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH STREMEL.

line confine the tool within the 

